Today marks the first day of Kislev, the Hebrew month that ends with Chanukah.​ Although Daylight Saving Time didn't exist when ancient Jews created a calendar, it was always a month of darkness as the days became shorter and the nights longer. It is also a month of dreams, as we read from the Torah about Joseph, a prolific dreamer, and his father, Jacob, who after awakening from a dream says "Surely God is in this place, and I did not know it ... How awesome is this place! This is none other than a Beit Elohim (House of God)" (Genesis 28:16-17). If that passage sounds familiar, you've probably seen it on the wall in our atrium - it's where the name Temple Beth Elohim comes from!

Kislev is also a month of hope, as scholars believe the name may come from the same Hebrew root as the word hope. Throughout the month, our TBE Youth Community will be practicing kindness as we prepare for Chanukah. We invite you to join us by following #KislevIsForKindness, a new initiative to help us commit to kindness and shine light into the world! Learn more about this initiative here and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see what our students are doing to change the world!

1 Kislev: Show support to someone who experienced a recent loss. Reach out to a friend who has lost a family member. Send a card to our friends at Tree of Life Synagogue or other Pittsburgh congregations. Do you know someone who has been having a tough time recently? Send them a text to let them know you're thinking of them. Kindness doesn't have to be on a large scale - simple acts of love can change the course of someone's day.